SKK GSB MBA Sungkyunkwan Univ .

Luxury Items as Both Self-Expression and Investment, Says Professor Koo

2025-02-11

Professor Minjung Koo, who teaches marketing at Sungkyunkwan University's SKK GSB, is also known as an expert in branding, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategy, and consumer behavior. As an expert in marketing, Professor Koo pointed out that Millennials and Gen Z no longer see luxury items as status symbols. Now, they consider luxury items both a tool for self-expression and an investment. Here’s why fun and scarce brand collaborations are currently the most effective marketing strategy for Millennials and Gen Z. Regarding the limited-edition shoes released by Nike and Dior, despite their high price of over one million won, Millennials and Gen Z line up to get them because of their scarcity. And they post them on their social media and use them as a means of self-expression. After that, depending on the need, they resell the limited-edition shoes on secondhand markets. Those are limited edition, and the scarcer they are, the easier it is to resell them, and also make a profit. Professor Koo was awarded the 2009 International Social Cognition Network (ISCON) Best Social Cognition Paper award as the first Korean recipient and serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Consumer Psychology and as a member of the editorial review board of several prestigious journals, including Journal of Consumer Research. With such a background, she recently selected the paper 'Obligatory Publicity Increases Charitable Acts' (Adelle X. Yang & Christopher K. Hsee) as the most impressive paper. She explained, "According to previous research results, posting their charitable acts on social media can make it seem like they are doing it to show off, so encouraging them to post such acts on social media can lead to a reduction in charitable activities. "However, this paper states that making the posting of charitable acts on social media obligatory encourages people to do more charitable acts. It was an interesting paper that revealed that when posting their charitable acts on social media becomes mandatory, it reduces feelings of guilt, encouraging them to do more charitable acts," Professor Koo commented. With expertise in branding and ESG strategy, she pointed out the "I CU" campaign of CU convenience stores as a recent outstanding example of branding and ESG. When a lost child visits a nearby CU convenience store, the staff enters the child's information, including their name and clothing, into the payment terminal. Then, according to the system built by CU, the child's information is shared with all CU convenience stores nationwide and the police. Professor Koo said, "Not just eye-catching marketing, the company should engage in activities that align with its identity over the long term. Only then can the company be recognized for its genuine branding and ESG practices." In addition, she chose Domino's Pizza's 'Paving for Pizza' campaign as a notable branding campaign abroad. As it snows a lot in the USA, roads become damaged, making car accidents more likely to occur. People report potholes on Domino's Pizza's website, and then the company repairs them. For Domino's Pizza, which provides delivery services, this is an excellent campaign because road safety is linked to the brand's differentiating factor, thus highlighting its identity while offering a solution that people genuinely need. Professor Minjung Koo, with over 15 years of experience teaching and researching at Sungkyunkwan University's SKK GSB, stated, "I am sure that SKK GSB is the only business school in Korea that provides a truly global MBA education. I have always been proud of this." She has been telling students in her Branding class that "storytelling is always important," but since there is no book that explains the storytelling of branding, she is currently writing a book on this topic. Professor Koo emphasized, "Writing a book is also a way to give insights to students. As a professor at SKK GSB, I hope students achieve even a little career growth through interactions with me and by attending my classes."

The EMBA Class of 2026 Published Their Gazette

2025-01-24

"One Team, One Dream!" The Indiana Kelley-SKK GSB Executive MBA(EMBA) Class of 2026 students at Sungkyunkwan University's SKK GSB became 'one team' as they shared the past semester. They began their journey with a bit of nervous excitement, but over the semester, they have built bonds so strong that shouting the phrase "One Team, One Dream!" feels like second nature. Strong bonds were made possible because everyone was eager and motivated to network and expand their knowledge. To capture the entirety of beautiful shared moments, the EMBA Class of 2026 students have decided to publish their gazette. This gazette featured their busy days, during which they often wondered, "When will the break finally come?" The gazette has captured the moments: a few sleepless nights they have had under their belt, a newfound respect for time management, and the ability to dissect any assignment. Click the link to read how the EMBA Class of 2026 students at SKK GSB have grown from peers to friends, mentors, and lifelong connections. The EMBA Class of 2026's Gazette

Prof. Youngju Nielsen "AI is Revolutionizing Investing"

2025-01-10

Professor Youngju Nielsen of Sungkyunkwan University's SKK GSB said, "AI enables individual investors to invest more easily and allows experts to design more sophisticated strategies" in an interview with Hankyung magazine. Prof. Youngju Nielsen emphasized that the importance of AI in the financial industry has increased, and the application of AI technology has expanded. She shared, "Previously, beginning quantitative investment using big data required much time and effort. Now, with a little programming knowledge, people are able to apply quantitative investment strategies." She added, "The gap will widen between those who try to learn and apply tools and those who do not." Original Article: https://magazine.hankyung.com/money/article/202412173007c

How will the Fed's rate cut affect Korea?

2025-01-06

Professor Terence Lim of Sungkyunkwan University's SKK GSB analyzed how the Federal Reserve's decision to lower rates affects Korea's economy on the SBS biz broadcast. Prof. Lim predicted, "Despite weak domestic demand, the Bank of Korea has no choice but to slow the pace of its interest rate cuts." Regarding Donald Trump's second term, he stated, "President-elect Donald Trump plans to raise tariffs on Chinese goods. It will impact China's export market, and South Korea, which exports intermediate goods to China, will also be affected." He added, "Imposing tariffs on imported vehicles will significantly affect Korea's economy." Original Article: https://biz.sbs.co.kr/article/20000192269?division=NAVER https://biz.sbs.co.kr/article/20000200607?division=NAVER

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